The Vampire's Shadow

Chapter Eight: Blood and Shadows

Allie's POV

" Do you need to drain from me? "

Allie stared at Malcolm for a brief moment processing the question.

" I-I don't need-"

" Are you sure? " Malcolm asked looking at her with an expression of concern on his face.

Allie turned to the cart intending to prove that she had some control over her magic.

Ice began to crawl up the cart and it soon started to crawl across the floor.

" No... I-I can't.." Allie shook her head and the ice stopped spreading across the floor.

" Looks like you can't control your magic after all. So you can drain from me. " Malcolm said, holding out his arm to her.

Allie looked at him, considering the offer. After a moment, she leaned down and bit him on the arm, her fangs sinking deep into it. Her eyes on him, she noticed the wince that he was trying to hide. Then, she looked down at her necklace, watching the clear glass begin to turn a deep red. A minute later it was full and Allie pulled away from Malcolm, watching him carefully.

" Are you alright? " She asked, as she began to melt the ice on the floor and the cart.

" I'll be fine..after a while. " Malcolm swayed on his feet and quickly sat back down in his chair, facing her. " Now, while I recover... tell me about this...shadow demon. "

" It's the shadow of my husband. He keeps forcing me to drain from humans until they're dead. And I don't like drinking human blood...He wants me to find a special type of blood that can supposedly resurrect the dead. Thing is, blood like that doesn't exist and if it did a human wouldn't be the one to have it. He seems to care about me but I can't tell when he actually does or when he has some other motivation for caring.. He yells at me and torments me when I don't do what he wants.. And I've had enough which is why I called you. "

" I see.. " Malcolm said, looking a little better.  " Well, you definitely called the right person...I'm the best demon expert in all of Enrica. It's how I got my nickname. "

Allie waited for him to process the rest of the information she had given him. She sat back down as well, using her Telekinesis to move their long abandoned soup bowls into the kitchen. A little bit of the red had drained from her necklace.

" Wait...did you say you don't like drinking human blood? "

" I don't... " She answered honestly. " It's not that I hate the blood itself...it's just that I hate the effects it has on people. Compared to animals anyway.. So I tended to drink mostly animal blood until that shadow demon came along. That's why those humans came after my husband... "

" What do you mean? You didn't answer that question when I asked it earlier.. "

" Those experiments he was doing on humans that got him killed..he was doing it for me..Because I didn't like drinking human blood he started experimenting with ways to turn humans into animals. Turning them into animals so I wouldn't feel guilty over draining them...and because they'd once been human the blood would still have the property of a human's meaning it could be used to keep my magic in control. When the humans of the village below this mountain found out that he was doing all these experiments...th-th-they killed him. "

" And the shadow demon? " Malcolm asked, eyes wide in awe from the story she was telling.

" My husband's last effort to keep me safe..to make sure I wasn't alone. That a part of him still lived. I don't think he anticipated that the shadow would be...what did you say earlier..? ' A representation of the worst parts of a person's personality..' "

Malcolm just continued to stare wide eyed. When he finally stopped, he looked away in embarrassment. Allie stood up, gesturing that Malcolm should stand as well.

" We can deal with the shadow demon tomorrow. It's late and you'd need your sleep if you plan to go face to face with him. For a shadow.. he's pretty strong.. "

The two walked into the main entrance of the castle. Malcolm walked over to the window and looked around the thick black curtain. The moon was starting to rise in the sky which was quickly filling with small silver pinpricks of light.

" If you want to see the stars, there's a better view on the balcony. " Allie said in an amused tone after Malcolm had been staring at the window for a bit. He seemed to snap back to existence after her comment.

" Maybe after I take care of the shadow demon. " Malcolm replied, finally pulling himself away from the window.

Allie laughed and continued up the stairs to her own room.